Two Loose Threads of Linen
by RiteVibe
Summary: Sewn together, thread by thread, piece by piece. Torn apart, loose, separated absolutely. Zutara. Now complete
1. sacred whispers of longing

**Do not own**

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sacred whispers of longing

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Skin on skin, lips on lips, hands on chest, hands in hair.

He pulls away first; her eyes are still shut, breathing still heavy, lips still set in shape. Beautiful. Zuko stops for a moment and catches his breath. This moment is to be savoured, he thinks as he presses a kiss to the top of her head. He is feeling happy, for once in a long, long time, he is feeling happy. The young Fire Nation man doesn't know an experience that comes remotely close to this. And he wants his heart to stay like this forever. But there is another emotion, he feels guilty; damn it, he feels guilty. This is the waterbender that belongs to the Avatar, he isn't supposed to lover her, she isn't his.

And yet there is a touch of defiance. Katara isn't property, she has a mind of her own, and she belongs to no one but herself. Maybe people don't belong to people; then again, maybe they do. One thing Zuko is sure of; if people are property, then he belongs to Katara, he only wishes she belongs to him too.

"Zuko," she whispers after more than a heartbeat has passed and he is still. And he is brought back down to reality. He doesn't want to think about the status of their relationship now; he doesn't need that. All he needs, all he wants is to hold her, hold this moment; live in it forever. The world fades away, bit by bit, piece by piece, until there is nothing but fire and water, yin and yang, Zuko and Katara.

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**A/N: Took a long break. But here I am again. Review.**


	2. the softness of her touch

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the softness of her touch

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"…A chance."

They are in one of guest rooms in the east wing of the palace. And he stands when he hears her words. Everything about this arrangement is wrong. Here they are; a married man and an engaged woman, spending time together in a setting like this. After passionate; yet guilt-ridden love making, they are here, half-dressed and talking about the future they are both longing for but cannot ever have.

And she is asking for is a chance, one chance to love freely; to be able to touch him, tell him how much she adores him without having to feel guilty; without having to confess her sins to the spirits after. But he is conflicted. Zuko wants to be with Katara, he isn't sure he's ever wanted anything more than this, but he has duties to fulfill, a wife who needs him.

He can sense the fire of the oil lamp growing hotter and hotter, and then there are her arms around his waist, her head resting on his back and he turns around to hold her. She pulls away slightly and touches his lips, his face, his chest; softly, gently. Sometimes when he indulges in his sagely notions about the universe, he thinks about the possibility that the world exists only to torture him. It seems, at times, that the world was created to make him fall in love with, and be denied of Katara.

She tiptoes and presses her lips to his. He kisses her back. The sensation of her lips against his lips is making him feel comforted, comforted in the fact that even if not for eternity; at least for now, he can feel the softness of her touch.

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**A/N: I absolutely love, love, love reading your reviews and feedback! please continue to show me your support! thank you to those who have already reviewed!**


	3. centered around madness

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centered around madness

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This is mad, she is mad, he is mad; they both are.

Tears, of anger, betrayal, hurt; yet to flow. Expressions, of hatred, pessimism, chiding; rooted from love and longing. The young Fire Lord marries the couple at noon under the watchful eyes of the village elders. Katara feeds her new husband rice balls filled with ground peanuts, boiled in sweet syrup. This represents a sweet, loving marriage; although it is clear to her that that is not going to happen.

Katara is simply going through the motion of things. She isn't Mai; she is not the kind of person who can withhold emotion at will. She is not a pretty doll; she has never had the need to hide her feeling behind a stoic curtain. And so, the young waterbender's attempt at holding back her tears is not successful.

Aang is alarmed; he didn't expect tears at his wedding. Katara excuses herself, citing the excuse that she is overcome with gladness. He smiles at her and offers his company, she declines and walks briskly towards the exit.

_I need fresh air; I need some fucking fresh air. _ She thinks as a means to calm herself as she pushes past the crowd of people that have come to witness the nuptials of the Avatar and his bride. What she doesn't know however, is that Zuko follows her. Briskly, quickly, swiftly; he moves, allowing a small distance between them.

She manages to reach a secluded spot of the frigid South Pole before she begins to cry again. And then there he is, his hand on her shoulder, fuck, his warm comforting hand. She feels better, more relaxed now, but only just.

"Don't touch me," she says in a heartbeat. "I didn't think you would be so fucking _supportive _of our marriage to the point of being the one to officiate it," it sounds crude, she knows, but doesn't care. The tension can be cut with a knife and they stay like that for a moment.

"I love you," he says finally as he brings her into his embrace, pausing a moment. "And that's why I want you to come away with me," he says, and then slowly, surely, her crying ceases.

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**A/N: Review! and thank you to all my readers!**


	4. you are my religion

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you are my religion

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The first time he really, really allowed himself to see her as a woman, the first time he focused on how hers eyes shone in the light of fire; the first time he noticed her beauty; her tenderness, he was 26. For a whole decade, he had forced himself (with much effort) to see her just simply as another human being. He succeeded in his agenda to maintain an unromantic relationship.

Despite this, there were times, when his gaze lingered on her for too long; times when he experienced a slight jump in his pulse when her fingers grazed his skin by accident. He often wrote these expressions off as silly things. But one night; one hideous, yet beautiful night; when they had gone together to Republic City to attend a conference regarding the United Forces; a spark ignited between them. It was late, pass midnight and they had gone to the local tavern for a couple of drinks.

Till this day, Zuko doesn't know how they ended up naked on the floor of a cheap motel room. Sex, was not something Zuko, up to that point, had done with anyone but Mai, his wife. And yet it felt right; like they had been partners forever. His lips fit well with hers; it felt nothing but correct to have her lying beneath him. It was magic. And although they were tipsy, it was very much apparent to the both of them; during and after, that they needed each other.

And it was from that night, that they persued their unholy relationship. It was sinful, it was frowned upon by both their religions but neither one of them cared, because the only faith they had was in each other.

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**A/N: review lovely people! thanks so much for the attention thus far! keep reviewing!**


	5. destiny bound

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destiny bound

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Zuko isn't a superstitious man.

He doesn't take care not to walk under ladders, he doesn't believe in ghosts, or prophecies or anything to do with that incredulous hocus pocus. And so, it is odd that he should visit the Fire Sages' temple at midday, on the eve of the night he is meant to run away with his lover.

It begins innocently enough. Zuko entertains the junior sages when they offer to apply holy oil on his forehead; he drinks a cup of tea with burnt hell notes in it, and kneels before a statue of Agni. However, if the Fire Sages found it odd that he should come to the temple, they do not comment on it. Zuko has the intention of conversing with Akaro, the most senior of the Fire Sages.

When it is time, Zuko removes his shoes and enters the hall where statues of all the previous Avatars stand; a place of sanctuary for the old man. Akaro is meditating when Zuko approaches him. At first Zuko thinks it is impolite to disturb the man and turns to leave but the Fire Sage calls his name out whilst his eyes are still shut and his legs form a nest.

Zuko moves to sit in front of the man whose eyes slowly open.

"She will die," Akaro says simply and Zuko stiffens. "Your waterbender will die if you elope with her." he states and Zuko's eyes widen. He never believed in this nonsense but then again, how do you explain the fact that the man knows about his plans to leave with his lover? How does he even know that Zuko has a lover in the first place? He doesn't know and is quite frankly baffled at what this might mean.

"You have a duty to not only your country, but Agni himself," he says directly and shakes his head, looking Zuko in the eyes. "Please Lord Zuko, if you love Master Katara, you must cease your adulterous relationship with her, for Agni frowns upon men and women who cheat on their partners. It is the ultimate betrayal to be an unfaithful spouse." He sighs again. "I'm sorry Fire Lord , but if you continue this relationship, one of you will eventually be struck dead. It is destiny."

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**A/N: reviews please! and i would really love to thank my readers; all of you are lovely and awesome!**


	6. between his satin sheets

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between his satin sheets

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She notices his grave expression when she walks into his study and is a little concerned. She is here on business. She has recently taken upon herself the duty of improving the education systems of the children in the rural parts of the Northen Fire Nation.

She is smiling discreetly when she raps on the door and enters. Her lips falter, trembling just that little bit. She knows something is wrong. After four years of being wed to this man, she can tell in a heartbeat if something is troubling his soul. And yet, she doesn't comment on it.

Their relationship isn't centered on love or tenderness (even though Mai is still; after more than a decade, in love with Zuko). But when his gaze captures hers, his eyes soften and she can feel her inner woman calm. Her husband smiles; although somewhat reluctantly as she takes a seat across from him, noticing the foldable bed that is his.

She never agreed to him sleeping in his office but doesn't make a fuss out of it for she knows that he will use this ruse of unhappiness as a means to divorce her. And she doesn't want that, not when they have two sons to think about.

There are times when Mai misses her husband's company, she misses the fleeting kisses, his subtle touch, the love making, she misses him period. But all those moments of intimacy no longer exist and all that is left in their marital chambers is a bed, sunken only on one side, and a dresser with their wedding picture facing flat down on the mahogany.

Mai knows that he doesn't love her, even though she likes to think that he did once; even for a brief moment. Zuko stands up from the seat behind the table and walks toward his wife. His eyes are beautiful, golden and gentle and she smiles. He bends down and kisses her lips softly. She takes a moment to regain composure. And she berates herself for being the love struck young woman that she is. And then his arms are in her hair, and they are holding on to each other. And then before she knows it, they are not wearing anything and he is atop her, kissing her neck, and telling her that he is sorry, and all she can say is that she knows.

And she knows, even though she doesn't say it. He is in love with another; but she doesn't want to think about that now. All that matters in this moment is the two of them and the fact that between his satin sheets, they are making love even though it is empty.

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**A/N: now i know what you're thinking. 'why put a maiko scene in a zutara fic'. well... i wanted a more realistic and holistic view regarding katara and zuko's situation. they are both married people and i felt it necessary to depict their other respective relationships. to completely skip over them would leave the story very lopsided. there will probably be one with kataang too don't hate me for it. and as always, please review!**


	7. under the dim light of the distant stars

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under the dim light of the distant stars

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On Zuko's advice, the young woman has decided to spend the night with her new husband. Aang is everything that a woman needs, though he is nothing she wants. Katara stays out of the tent, beside the fire and looks up at the stars. It is rather dim, even though there are thousands of them. Aang comes to sit beside her, his eyes smile, his lips curl up at the sides and he is clearly in love.

She almost feels guilty, almost.

She is married now; she can hardly believe it herself. She can hardly believe the fact that she has sacrificed her happiness for the happiness of the world. But this arrangement will not last. In a few weeks, when the time is right, when the spirits smile upon them, she and Zuko will leave and never return.

The Avatar puts an arm around her and draws her body closer to his. She has the urge to resist but doesn't. After all, even though she doesn't love him, he is still her friend and so she decides that she will give herself to him; just for one night. He kisses the top of her head and inhales her scent. She knows that he loves her, she knows that she is the woman of his dreams; he's told her that many times. And when he kisses her, she knows how much he means it.

Their tent is far from the village and so there is no need to hold back. He moves his lips over her neck, pressing them to her throat. And then he leads her into their makeshift home and Aang can feel his body react to his wife's touch but all Katara sees, all she feels under the dim light of the distant stars, is Zuko.

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**A/N: Kataang! lol but zutara still somehow. lol**


	8. fate intertwined

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fate intertwined

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Aang finds it strange to note that Katara is not a virgin.

The young airbender thinks about this for a moment. It is the thing troubling the air nomad as he lies next to his wife. It is his first time with a woman, it is something that the monks had taught him, celibacy before marriage is crucial in the air nomad tradition and he adhered to it. What is common between their two cultures is that fact that fornication is frowned upon. And yet here is his waterbender, her barrier clearly broken long before he entered her.

And as much as he doesn't want to think about it, there is the glaring fact that it is not Katara's first sexual encounter. All he wants to know now is who; _who _the bastard was who took her virginity. There is hatred, a rare emotion in Aang's being, there is loathing and there is so much hurt in his soul. He has been betrayed by the woman whom he has loved all this time and yet he cannot bear to leave her.

Oh, but she clearly doesn't hold the same sentiment, for on the eighth day of April, she leaves him. She takes one of their ostrich horses and rides away in the middle of the night. And it is on that night, that Aang's world falls apart. And as fate would have it, it was then that the waterbender lost her faith in the spirits. And although none of them know, not Aang, nor Katara, nor Zuko, nor Mai, it will be on this night that their lives will intertwine only to come apart at the seams.

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**A/N: REVIEW! special thanks to quirkista for giving me advise!**


	9. of scarlet, sapphire and topaz

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of scarlet, sapphire and topaz

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If you ask Zuko what he would do differently if he had the chance, his answer will be that he would never have had an affair with Katara.

oOoOoOo

A carriage halts in the middle of a road to the West of the Fire Lord's palace.

At first glance, it doesn't look at all special. But there is something about the fact that the Avatar is driver that makes things a little more tragic. The clearing is a small one, unfortunately too small for Appa to land in. And although this does not seem like a big deal, it is because the young woman beneath the wheel of the vehicle is Mai.

oOoOoOo

There are a lot of things that Katara can do. She can waterbender, she can fight, she can heal but tonight it is not about what she can do, but what she cannot. And there are only a few things that the Water Tribe woman cannot do, and sadly these are some of them. 1) Katara cannot foresee the future 2) Katara cannot pause time and 3) Katara cannot bring the dead back to life.

oOoOoOo

There are many things that cross his mind as the scene unfolds before him. He thinks about the first time her saw Mai, she had been sitting by the turtleduck pond feeding stale bread to the animals. He thinks about how his lips felt right with hers when they kissed for the first time under the stars at night. He thinks about the fact that she loves him, and that even in the face of death, all she wants is for him to be happy.

oOoOoOo

These were the things Mai treasured deeply. 1) She treasured the two sons she had with her spouse. Akai and Aiko were the best things that ever happened to her, after Zuko. 2) She prized the wedding potrait that was painted of her and her husband the day they were wed. 3) She held dear an anklet her parents gave to her when she was a child. And finally 4) It is precious, the love her husband showered her with, even though that was a distant memory.

And so these things were reasons enough for her to be willing to take the blow for Katara. And as she suffered through the accident, all she could think about was the fact that at least, she had somehow, in a twisted kind of way, lived up to her duty and a wife.

oOoOoOo

Eighth April... the day everything changed. Zuko became a lot more religious, having a little more faith in the spirits and Agni. After all, all he wants is for Mai to have reached Heaven. And although he had never had so much as a fibre in his being that believed in such a place, he does now because that is all that gives him hope that somewhere, even though in a different dimension, Mai's soul lives on.

oOoOoOo

Eighth April... the day Katara loses her trust in the spirits, gods and everything mystical. It has been her lifelong belief that these beings exist and yet now, as she sits next to the window of a tea shop in the middle of Ba Sing Se, she knows that they don't live, Because if they did, then a woman as kind as the late Fire Lady, would not have died so she could live.

oOoOoOo

Eighth April... the day Aang finds a blessing and a curse. It is the day he killed a being for the first time. It was an accident, he didn't mean it. Mai was a wonderful friend, even though he didn't know her well. But he's got to thank her, he just has to. Because it was because of her, it was because of her hat Zuko and Katara abandoned their plans to elope and for that he is grateful

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**A/N: We are approaching the end people! please review! at least five of them? please? anyways, read and i hope you'll enjoy :)**


	10. future unblemished

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future unblemished

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Aang knows that after what happened, Katara will not elope with Zuko.

He knows that she will not continue her relationship with the scarred man.

Aang also knows that she will never forgive him for what he has done.

He is wrong. But he is comforted by his foolish notions, because to him, if he cannot have Katara, no one else can.

oOoOoOo

She spends a year alone, she needs to think, think about the past, think about the present, think about Zuko. Katara leans a chair in the middle of the room in her tent. The South is the only place she had thought to be appropriate to live in for this period of time.

Katara cannot forgive herself for being a home wreaker. Zuko is a married father, a man who has a family. Yet, all she wanted was for him to leave them, leave Mai. What pains her the most however, is the fact that Mai faced death to save her, for Zuko's sake. The Fire Sage was right about death, she just didn't expect it to be Mai in _her_ place.

And yet Katara cannot bring herself to forgive Mai for what has happened. It's sick and twisted, she knows, and yet she cannot forgive the woman.

She died, and for that Katara, in a selfish way, is angry at Mai... she is angry because she knows that Zuko... Zuko will let the memory of Mai linger on. She is afriad that their future will sink into what she thinks will be scarred. Nonetheles she will go back to Zuko, she has to, she loves him and nothing will change that. And so the waterbender closes her eyes as she allows this to sink in. Yes, she would return, because she knows that there will be a future for her and Zuko... for the both of them even though, it may be scarred.

oOoOoOo

He is woken up in his sleep in the dead of night. One of his guards calls him from his slumber and he awakens. At first he is confused and doesn't know what this is all about because the guard speaks quickly, excitement in his tone. But then as the man repeats himself, Zuko's eyes widen with surprise.

He heads out of his quarters and then there she is, in the hall, sitting, sobbing and crying for the life that was lost, the love that was broken. But Zuko is having none of it. He sits himself beside her and pulls her into his arms. He kisses her, oh how gently he kisses her. It's been a year, it's been sometime since the demise of his wife. Mai wanted him happy, he knows this and so he decides that that is what will be... and so he weds Katara, and pledges to her, a future unblemished.

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**A/N: COMPLETE! thanks for reading and reviewing!**


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